Ella Lakew

As Senior Director of Grants and Compliance, Ella ensures good stewardship of Concern’s government funding portfolio. She works across programs and departments to oversee critical aspects of the grant cycle, from pre-award to post-award, focusing on donor guidelines, reporting, audits, monitoring, financial accountability, and regulatory compliance.

Ella is a seasoned finance and accounting professional with more than 16 years of experience in both private and nonprofit sectors. She views her role at Concern as a unique opportunity to apply her financial skills to creating positive change and making a difference in overcoming poverty. She is passionate about humanitarian work and believes we can all make a difference, to quote Desmond Tutu: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

Before joining Concern, Ella worked in senior accounting and finance positions at 32BJ Benefit Funds, Action Against Hunger, Kennedy Child Study Center, and Panafric Global. Ella holds a BA in Accounting and Finance from Addis Ababa University and likes to read books and travel during her leisure time.